With so many fallen
breadfruit and banana trees and damaged taro plantations,
Samoa will face a food shortage in the next few months but
people can take action now to help save planting materials.

Women in Business organic officer Pule Toleafoa says
people should be using the branches of fallen trees to
create root stock instead of chopping or burning the entire
tree.

“If the banana tree has fallen on the ground with
almost ripe fruit, do not remove the leaves but you must
cover the banana bunches and allow to ripen normally
otherwise they will get sunburnt.

“With breadfruit
trees, you must cut six feet above roots and at the join
where the branches grow,” says Toleafoa.

“Cocoa,
orange, lime and lemon can be cut two feet and upwards from
the root and you can just put these branches in the
ground.”

Toleafoa adds the seeds from the ripe cocoa pod
can also be used for replanting, “but only use the seeds
from the middle of the pod not the sides”.

“Air
layering is another technique to boost rootstock materials
of certain trees that farmers can do after some easy
instruction.”

Coconuts should be replanted using fallen
nuts.

Regarding the burning of fallen leaves, Toleafoa
says that the leaves should not be burned but used for mulch
– fallen leaves and plant material placed near growing
plants as food – or put in a compost heap.

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